Rise of the Guardians: And Darkness Comes
by A.C.Windsong
Summary: When the Guardians are faced by a new threat, an unlikely character arises in the form of Winona, a freedom-loving wind spirit who is haunted by cryptic visions, who may be the key to help stopping the Darkness that has risen. Will she and the Guardians be able to stop the Darkness from spreading despair or will Winona keep her freedom for herself at the expense of the whole world?
1. Prologue

_**A/N: Hey there, Reader! This is my first fanfic, but it's one of the many stories I have tried to write, so R&R and tell me what you think. I need opinions for future improvement.**_

**DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fiction, the use characters from the RotG franchise are used fictitiously, as well as the names, places and events. Other than the characters that rightfully belong to the author William Joyce and from its movie adaptation courtesy of Dreamworks Animations Studios, this work is a product of the author's imagination.**

_**Prologue**_

"Tut, tut, tut… Hurry along." Solaris said brightly. She was flying around the coastline in a sunrise themed sundress with her flaming red hair that looked as though it was burning like the sun. She was lightly tanned and wearing yellow sandals as though she was headed to the beach herself.

It was no joke being the Summer Fairy, not everybody knew who she was or if she even existed, but it was her job to make sure the sun was just right for the summer since spring was coming to a close.

Little balls of fire were circling around her, helping her channel her magic to start warming up the world.

"Come on guys, people will be walking along the beach soon, and there's gotta be some sun now." Solaris told them and gasped. The little fire balls around her quivered and died as Solaris felt a despairing emotion flooding around her.

"What?" she said weakly and saw a figure flying overhead, but she was much more disheveled than the girl Solaris remembered.

"Claudia?" she said and fell as storm clouds started crawling overhead. "Why? How could you – "

And summer is gone again.


	2. Chapter One

**DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fiction, the use characters from the RotG franchise are used fictitiously, as well as the names, places and events. Other than the characters that rightfully belong to the author William Joyce and from its movie adaptation courtesy of Dreamworks Animations Studios, this work is a product of the author's imagination.**

_**Chapter One**_

Winona let a peal of laughter escape her. She couldn't help it. The beach was bustling with people lying around on towels and blankets wearing tiny swimming garments while the children played in the sand and the water. She swooped down, carrying the wind with her and blew the people's umbrellas and hats away as she went. Some of the kids saw her, but grown-ups would never believe them if they'd tell.

'Grown-ups are like that,' Winona thought, remembering the time she heard a story called the Little Prince from a lady who was talking to a tiny group of children.

She then walked over a little boy with brown hair who was trying to make a sand castle.

"That looks great." Winona said. The little boy looked up at her with his big blue eyes staring at Winona's black ones. The little boy seemed surprised that Winona walked over wearing a loose, cinnamon colored sweater, jeans and riding boots in a hot summer's day, but he was too downcast to comment.

"No it's not," he said grumpily. "I can't make it stand. It always falls in on itself and it just looks like a, a-"

"Pile of sand?" Winona supplied for him. "Try using the wet sand, that way the sand will stick and stand, with enough practice."

"Who are you?" he asked, "Momma told me I'm not supposed to talk to strangers."

"And you really shouldn't." Winona agreed. "My name's Winona."

"I'm Paul." He said, "Do you really think it'll stand?"

"Positive." Winona promised, just as an older woman called for Paul.

"Honey? Who are you talking to?" she asked.

"My new friend Winona." He replied. "Say hi."

"But Paul honey, there's no one there." She replied. Paul looked to his new friend who winked and flew away.

She flew up to a nearby cliff that had held a good round of trees where she sat and looked at the sky.

"Good job, Sunny." She said to herself. She'd met Solaris only briefly, since her little fire friends kept her busy with the coming summer and all, but she always appreciated other spirits, the ones with major roles and the ones like her, believed or otherwise.

"Right she did." A voice from behind said.

"E. Aster Bunnymund," Winona greeted, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You're looking swell yourself, Winona." He replied. The six feet tall bunny stepped into Winona's line of sight, boomerang in hand. "But don't think you're getting off that easy after what you did last Easter."

"Please, I only helped them find the eggs." Winona replied setting her long black hair back. "And Easter was almost over then, and I wasn't going to let those pretty little eggs perish before they could be found."

"But you'd be spoiling the whole point of Easter, Winona." He replied and cleared his throat. "But I didn't come all the way here to talk about that."

"Oh?" Winona asked, "I was actually thinking maybe you'd try to tell me off about how irresponsible I am or how I could never quit being intervening, or something like that."

"I could, but I'm here on Guardian business. Toothy's been wanting to see you."

Winona snorted, "I think she can come here by herself. And since when did you become the honorary messenger Guardian?"

"Well, I don't know why how I got to this kind of job myself," he said, his tone annoyed "But Tooth was serious."

"Fine, fine, I'll go with you to the Pole." Winona said and stood up. Bunnymund tapped his foot on the ground and a hole instantly formed. Winona made a show of curtsying and jumping comically into the hole with Bunny rolling his eyes.


	3. Chapter Two

_******DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fiction, the use characters from the RotG franchise are used fictitiously, as well as the names, places and events. Other than the characters that rightfully belong to the author William Joyce and from its movie adaptation courtesy of Dreamworks Animations Studios, this work is a product of the author's imagination.**_

_**Chapter Two**_

"Winona?" a voice asked.

Winona opened her eyes to see North standing over her.

"Ah! Good morning sleepy head," North greeted with his big and booming voice. "Tell me, how was Bunny's mode of transportation, eh?

"Funny, I don't remember how I arrived." Winona groaned. He looked to Sandy to see him show that she was hit on the head. "Thanks, Mansnoozie." she replied. "Where's Toothiana?"

"She said something about an incisor emergency." Jack said, landing on his feet. "She said she'll be right back, though." he added.

Winona stood up and brushed herself off. "Nice to see you again, Jack." she greeted. "I came in before Aster, where is he?" she asked.

"Bunny's went back in hole." North answered, "Looking for missing boomerang."

"Found it." Jack announced, pointing to the spot where Winona lay unconscious just moments ago.

Winona chuckled, "Couldn't help it," she explained. "When he slung it over his shoulder, it was helplessly loose. He'd have lost it on the way if I didn't hold it for him."

"I think you'll have a hard time explaining that to him." Jack told her.

"Yes, because I am such a great and responsible person." Winona said sarcastically as she picked up the boomerang. "I don't think that my boomerang could be loose like that. My straps are well and of the best I ever made them. Knowing you, you wisecracker, you took it from me to make me look bad." she said in a pretty good imitation of Bunny' voice.

Jack and Winona laughed as North retreated to his office. They were still laughing when Jack looked over Winona's shoulder and suppressed his laughter.

"He's right behind me, isn't he?" she said.

"Oh yeah." Jack replied. "Hey, Cottontail."

"Don't start with me Frost." his voice warned. Winona glanced back and handed him the boomerang. "Got anything to say, Flygirl?"

"I'm guessing, 'You're welcome?' maybe?" she replied playfully as Bunny took the boomerang.

"So everyone's here except-" Winona began to say just as a tired Toothiana burst in.

"I'm here, I'm here… Sorry…" she said as she landed. "Air traffic and then there were just so many teeth to-"

"Tooth, calm down." North said, reuniting with Winona and the other Guardians. "Sandy, wake up." He said, walking over to him.

"North, let me." Winona volunteered and flew over to Sandy. She kneeled down to his height. She leaned and blew ever so slowly along his ear as he woke up. "Hey Sandy."

Sandy nodded a little and made a thank-you gesture, as a series of sand pictures formed above his head.

"You're welcome," Winona said, even if she didn't know what Sandy was trying to say.

"Right, so now that everybody's here, why don't we start getting this over with." Bunny complained, "I still have eggs to paint."

"Great." Winona said, rising to her feet. "So which Easter, Halloween or Christmas nuisance am I here to be drilled about?"


	4. Chapter Three

_****__******DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fiction, the use characters from the RotG franchise are used fictitiously, as well as the names, places and events. Other than the characters that rightfully belong to the author William Joyce and from its movie adaptation courtesy of Dreamworks Animations Studios, this work is a product of the author's imagination.**_

_**Chapter Three**_

Winona sits on the floor, tired as the three of the five animated Guardians continued to drill her about her notorious acts of disruption. Tooth was flying around in exhaustion just as Bunny and North continued to discuss over Winona's acts of foolishness while Jack and Sandy stood idly by.

"And the time you blew over some of my fairies just when Halloween passed. DO you have any idea how much teeth needed to collect at twice the normal rate?" Tooth complained.

"Hey! I was trying to delay Claudia's storm clouds just before they made their deliveries. I never meant for them to, fly along with it." Winona explained.

"What about that buggin' time you blew along to show where I hid the eggs, mate?" Bunny interjected.

"You said so, yourself Bunny, your pretty little eggs don't last very long for everyone to find especially when it was getting dark." Winona pointed out.

"Let's not forget you flew and blew by compass waywards and I almost flew into China." North said.

"That was purely by accident." Winona replied. "Anyone else? Jack? Sandy?"

"Oh you get me home pretty swell," Jack said, nonchalantly leaning on his staff. Sandy conjured a thumbs up above his head, followed by an egg, a tooth and a candy cane then a thumbs down.

"Right." Winona said, resigned, "See? I do help!"

"Can't you see we're trying to –"

"Shh, Bunny let me talk to her. Girl to girl." Tooth offered.

The four other Guardians looked to her and looked at each other apprehensively.

"Come on, guys." Jack said, "I've heard girls talk and sometimes you don't want to hear what they have to say."

"Trying to say something, Frosty?" Winona challenged. But the Guardian shrugged and Sandy gestured for the girls to get on with it.

Tooth led the way as Winona followed her into North's study. Winona pulled along the sleeves of her sweater and looked to Tooth. Only in close proximity did realize that Tooth looked a little tired, and some of her feathers were losing their color.

"Wow, Tooth." Winona said, "You look –"

"Tired?" she asked. "I don't know if you've been looking around Winona, but ever since Claudia's storms and clouds came in, a lot of us are starting to feel much more tired than we usually are."

"I don't get it, you looked fine while we were with the others just moments ago!" Winona gasped.

"I can't let them know just yet, Winona." Tooth argued. "A small group of my fairies came to me and said something happened to Solaris. And that her sister Claudia was responsible."

"That's impossible, Claudia would never do that to her sister." Winona replied, "They know their magic's polar opposites to the point that they could easily poison each other."

"You idea's as good as mine, Winona, but trust me when I say that something bad is going to happen and I think you're going to be a very big part of it." Tooth told her urgently, "Some of the children's memories involved you and Claudia, so tell me-" she paused and grasped Winona's shoulders. "Do you know anything that could help us?"

"I-"

"Tooth! Winona!" North interrupted, "Sorry to break conversation, but Manny's here to tell us something."

Without a word more, they returned to North's control room and waited to see that Bunny, Jack and Sandy were already tuned into whatever message The Man in the Moon was about to give.

"So alrighty then, mate." Bunny began, "What's happened?"

Then the light emanated against the Guardian symbol and depicted the silhouette of Claudia only disheveled and different, and then the shape changed into that of Pitch's Nightmares.

Winona looked to Tooth and she nodded. Tooth's information clicked: Claudia the Storm Spirit was not in good ties with any of the other spirits of late and the Nightmares seemed responsible.

"Pitch's Nightmares?" Jack asked, "I thought they disappeared along with him."

"Then why don't we ask him then." Winona said.

"He's already deep underground where even I can't go." Bunny told them.

"And I only know one way in, and ever since the Nightmares turned on him, he was never seen since, and so with the hole in the ground." Jack supplied.

"Manny? Any suggestions?" North prodded. And to everyone's shock, the light moved slowly toward Winona.

"Who, me?" Winona said incredulously. "What can I do? I'm just a random wind spirit."

"It seems that's not the only thing you're supposed to do." Tooth told her.

"Does that mean she's a Guardian, now?" Bunny asked.

"No, Manny did not use crystal, but she may have the potential." North said, "So Winona, what is your center?"

"Center? Guardian? No!" Winona said, "I can't be a Guardian! Like I said, I'm a random wind spirit, nothing special, I-"

"But there must be something you know that could help us." Jack pressed. "Hey, you're not the only one reluctant to be chosen as a Guardian, Winona. But times like when the Moon does this, things must be serious."

"Then get someone else." Winona insisted.

"Gee, does that ring any bells." Bunny commented. Sandy just nodded wistfully.

"I can't be a Guardian, I-" Winona said, "I have to go."

And she flew away.


	5. Chapter Four

_****__******DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fiction, the use characters from the RotG franchise are used fictitiously, as well as the names, places and events. Other than the characters that rightfully belong to the author William Joyce and from its movie adaptation courtesy of Dreamworks Animations Studios, this work is a product of the author's imagination.**_

**_Chapter Four_**

'This has got to be a huge joke.' Winona thought. 'I'm not anything special like them.'

Winona flew past the maze-like city with their towering structures and buildings, trying to get to the one person she always went to for counsel and advice - Wendell, the Father of all winds.

Soon Winona reached the secluded valley of plains and hills, she paused and stopped in front of a large building with white walls and majestic columns with different sets of sky blue patterns - Wind Signs, intertwined together to signify the unity of each and every wind spirit of the world who had made a difference. Winona's was not as prominent as the others' were, but it was there all the same.

But something was wrong, she was sure, because the clean colors on the building looked grayish, as though the colors were sick somehow. This would trouble any wind spirit on a normal day, but Winona herself was troubled and proceeded to the Gathering Hall where she was likely to find Wendell. But the Elder Wind was not there instead the ever-friendly Kevin was, except he was not in his usual happy self.

"Kevin, have you seen Father Wendell?" she asked. Kevin looked at her with his pleading brown eyes and raised a hand to comb over his head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong." Kevin said a little too quickly.

"It's important Kevin, please." Winona begged. But Kevin flew over to her, grabbed her by the arm and flew out the House of Winds. "Kevin!"

"Shh, Winona," Kevin said. "Nothing is okay, Wendell is not the Wendell we know."

"What?" Winona asked incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"Claudia came by the House and talked with Wendell. He told me to keep a sharp eye while he talked with her, but after their conversation, Claudia left and Wendell came out a changed spirit." He explained. "Father Wendell upset the Four Winds and sent them to follow Claudia."

"That's not possible!" Winona exclaimed, "Father Wendell would never do that, he knows what the Winds are capable of when they're flustered."

"Have you looked around, Winona?" Kevin asked her. "Something evil is happening and Claudia's behind it."

"No she's not." Winona told him firmly. "I was at North's place with the Guardians earlier. Manny seemed to tell us that Pitch's Nightmares are somehow manipulating spirits, Claudia and now Wendell included."

"Pitch Black? I thought the Guardians took care of him." Kevin said.

"We did, but it seems that wasn't enough." A voice called. It was Jack.

"What are you doing here?" Winona demanded. "I already told you, I want out. Pitch is your problem, always have been, and you guys have to clean up after the Nightmares."

"But you're kinda a part of everything now, Winona." Jack argued. "Even Father Wendell's involved, and I don't think you want to see him do things you're not used to see him do."

"He's right, Winona," Kevin encouraged, "But I'm thinking something else happened."

"Manny told us that we'd need her help." Jack told him.

"Something useless, I keep telling them." Winona insisted, "Kevin can do it, he has more Signs than I do. He's a better help than I will ever be."

"But Manny chose you, Winona." Jack insisted.

"Winona, something coming from the Man in the Moon is not to be taken lightly." Kevin told her, "If he thinks you could help, then there must be something about you that will help all of us before it's too late."

"I-" she began.

"Please Winona, it's not obvious now, but we need you, Father Wendell needs you." Jack pleaded.

Winona flashed back to the last time she spoke with Father Wendell – she was crying among the Windy Willow Tree when Wendell came to her and listened to Winona's bout when she had just came out of a vision. The whole time, Wendell did nothing but told her that everything was going to be okay, and then counseled her after her nightmarish vision of losing her freedom. Winona vowed she would pay him back someday.

"Okay, I'll try but I hope you guys can help me, too."


End file.
